Apparatus for inducing sleep



May 20, 1930. H. SALOMON El AL 1,759,761

APPARATUS FOR INDUCING SLEEP Filed March 11, 1925 Y .In verztons hid/15 Ja/Omon and Max F'r/adr/b/l 3 Pall/IA? -fi Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HANS SALOMON, OF BERLIN-HALENSE E, AND MAX FRIEDRICH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR INDUCING SLEEP Application filed-March 11, 1925, Serial No. 14,757, and in Germany May 2, 1924.

It is a known fact that the uniform noise of a travelling railway train has a soporific effect. Now having regard to this fact, according to the invention, an appliance is employed which produces such a soporific noise, that is to say, a uniformly continuing noise, preferably kept in a low-pitched tone.

The going of an ordinary clockwork movement does not suflice for the fulfilment of these conditions, as in consequence of the tick-took noise it is not sufiiciently restful. Even if the clockwork would run down continuously the whirring noise would have an awakening rather than a tranquilizing effect."

Only by employing brakes, such as vibratory vanes, is a uniform and in particular a peace- I ful as well as a deep tone produced. Furthermore by the braking action of the wind vanes the time of running down of the clockwork is considerably prolonged, so that the running of the apparatus lasts out completely over the period of falling asleep, and a reawakening owing to the sudden stoppage is obviated.

By enclosing a mechanism of the nature described above in a sound box the vibrations or sound waves set up by the whirring noise made by the rotating vanes are amplified. If desired, the amplification of the waves may be varied by varying the dimensions of the box or damping them by attaching weights to the box.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, where- 1n Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 is the subject-matter of Figure 1 fitted into a sounding box, partly in section.

Fig. Sis an elevation of the driving mechanism, the cover of the casing being removed.

The apparatus according to the invention consists of a casing 1, for example with a base' 2. In the casing is lodged a clockwork mechanism, which is driven by a spring 3. On a shaft 4, such a one as has the greatestangular velocity in the mechanism, is mounted a vibratory vane 5. This vibratory vane, when the clockwork is working, causes the desired humming and uniform sound. Furthermore,

by the vibratory vane the drive of the clockwork is braked, so that its time of running down is considerably prolonged.

It is to be observed that the vibratory vane in both constructional examples is fiat and that the plane of the vane is normal to the plane of rotation. As a result of this arrangement, during the rotation of the vane the maximum resistance of the air is utilized to intensify the vibration impartedto the vane with a consequent augmentation of the humming sound produced.

In the case of the constructional example according to Figure 2, a clockwork mechanism 6, with a vibratory vane 7, is lodged in a sounding box 8. By this means not only is the humming not amplified but it can also be tuned to a still lower key, if for example a sounding body with a somewhat lower natural frequency of'oscillation is selected.

The clockwork mechanism is held in the sounding box by means of screw bolts 9, 10.

A key-11 for winding up the clockwork projects out of the sounding box, and any desired member 12 may be provided by means of which the wound-up clockwork can be started running down.

The arrangement of the clockwork mechanism in a sounding box closed in all round has the further advantagethat no damaging of the clockwork, and particularly of the sensitive vibratory vanes is possible.

By mounting vanes 5 0i? different sizes both the pitch and also the loudness can at any time be somewhat altered and adapted to the desire of the person wishingto be put to sleep and to: hissharpness of hearing and personal susceptibility to a particular timbre or uality of tone.

pecial loading pieces, for example lead strips 13 or the like, may be provided, which being fitted in addition on to the sounding board or sounding box, alter the quality of the tone according to the wish of the person for whom the appliance is intended as is here inafter set forth. The spiral spring 3 is secured with its outer end to a bolt a of the casing. The

spiral spring may be stretched or tensi'oned by the key 12 in amanner which known and therefore not shown in detail. A ratchet and pawl device with wheel 6 on a shaft maintains the spring in the stretched or tensioned position andprevents the spring from running down when winding up the same. I By means of a device which is known and therefore not shown in detail, for instance, the said member 12, the ratchet and pawl device may be released at will when I the spring 3 is stretched or tensioned. A

toothed wheel d is secured to the shaft 6 and is adapted to set the shaft 4 of the vibratory vane 5 in rapid rotation in the known manner over gearing with toothed wheels, for instance, 6. The vibratory vane simultaneously acts as brake and prevents the clockwork mechanism from running down too soon when by means of the member 12 the ratchet and pawl device 0 with stretched or an tensioned spring 3 is released.

It is essential that owing to the vanes 5 the clockwork should come to rest quite slow- 1y, with a gradual dying away of the tone, so that the person is not waked up again by the stoppage of the clockwork, even in the case of "cry light sleep.

What we claim is 1. An apparatus for inducing sleep, com prising in combination with a shaft, a mo-' tor and a train of gears to transmit the drive of the motor to the shaft, of a flat vibratory vane mounted on the shaft to be rotated thereby, the rotation of the vane and the resistance of the air to the movement of the vane opcrating to efl'ec't a humming sound, the plane of the vane being normal to the plane of rotation thereof to utilize the maximum resistance oft-he air to intensify the vibration to augment the humming sound produced by 4 the rotation of the vane.

2. An apparatus for inducing sleep, comprising in combination with a shaft, a motor and a train of gears to transmit the drive of the motor to the shaft, of a flat vibratory vane mounted on the shaft to be rotated thereby, the rotation of the vane and the resistance of the air to the movement of the vane operating to effect a humming sound, the plane of the vane being normal to the plane of rotation thereof to augment the humming sound produced by the rotation of the vane. and a resonant casing enclosing the vane to amplify the humming sound produced by the rotation of the vane.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

- DR. HANS SALOMON.

MAX FRIEDRICH. 

